2015 Sonnet, Pinot Noir, Tondre’s Grapefield, Santa Lucia Highlands.
Anthony Craig’s Sonnet Tondre Pinot may be the best yet from this vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands, it’s depth and delicacy is glorious and his long experience with this site and his input on planting has really paid off, this wine is everything you’d want in a classy Pinot Noir. Sonnet’s blocks are mostly Pommard clone set on the sandy loam making for a powerful, earthy and spicy expression and Craig has crafted a beauty from a concentrated vintage, it shows a gifted touch and the wine is very textural and lingering with a wonderful array of red fruits on the palate and sweet ripe tannins along with nice lift, it’s refined acidity giving an inner brightness and expressive tension. Racy black cherry, plum and strawberry fruits lead the way with hints of briar, tea spices, candied orange peel and soft oak notes, there’s so much to admire here it takes awhile to take it all in. It was great to catch up with the Sonnet wines and winemaker Anthony Craig, it was absolutely a thrill to see how good the current set of wines are drinking, especially this 2015 Tondre’s Grapefield with it’s layered fruit, pretty ruby/garnet hue, subtle floral perfume, length and wonderful mouth feel, it’s a special wine that deserves merit and praise, it’s elegant medium bodied form is a joy to behold in the glass, drink over the next 3 to 5 years.
($38 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive

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